Study on the Accumulation of Heavy Metals in Some Epiphytic Mosses of NainitalCity, Uttarakhand, India

Abstract

As compared to terrestrial bryophytes, epiphytic mosses are more exposed to pollutants. Their widespread distribution and high accumulation capacity has led to their use for monitoring purposes. In the present study six species of epiphytic mosses namely, Trachypodopsis serrulata (P. Beauv) M. Fleisch., Papillaria fuscescens (Hook.) A. Jaeger, Barbella turgida Nog., Meteoriopsis reclinata (Müll. Hal.) M. Fleisch., M. Squarrosa (Hook. ex Harv.) M. Fleisch. and Homalothecium sericeum (Hedw.) Schimp. were collected from Kumaun University Campus, Nainital (Uttarakhand) and analyzed for Cd, Cr, Cu, Pb, and Ni concentration in naturally growing mosses. Results depicted that Cr, Ni and Cd concentrations in epiphytic bryophyte tissues as well as in their substratum was very high followed by Cu and Pb. The highest concentration of Cd and Cu was found to be in Meteoriopsis reclinata, in both the plant sample as well as the substratum, whereas the highest concentration of Cr, Pb and Ni was found to be highest in Trachypodopsis serrulata, Meteoriopsis squarrosa, Homalothecium sericeum and Barbella turgida respectively.